Cloud computing

Cloud computing is a big shift from the traditional way businesses think about IT resources. Here
are seven common reasons organizations are turning to cloud computing services:
Cost
Cloud computing eliminates the capital expense of buying hardware and software and setting up
and running on-site datacenters—the racks of servers, the round-the-clock electricity for power
and cooling, and the IT experts for managing the infrastructure. It adds up fast.
Speed
Most cloud computing services are provided self service and on demand, so even vast amounts
of computing resources can be provisioned in minutes, typically with just a few mouse clicks,
giving businesses a lot of flexibility and taking the pressure off capacity planning.
Global scale
The benefits of cloud computing services include the ability to scale elastically. In cloud speak,
that means delivering the right amount of IT resources—for example, more or less computing
power, storage, bandwidth—right when they’re needed, and from the right geographic location.
Productivity
On-site datacenters typically require a lot of “racking and stacking”—hardware setup, software
patching, and other time-consuming IT management chores. Cloud computing removes the need
for many of these tasks, so IT teams can spend time on achieving more important business goals.
Performance
The biggest cloud computing services run on a worldwide network of secure datacenters, which
are regularly upgraded to the latest generation of fast and efficient computing hardware. This
offers several benefits over a single corporate datacenter, including reduced network latency for
applications and greater economies of scale.
Reliability
Cloud computing makes data backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity easier and less
expensive because data can be mirrored at multiple redundant sites on the cloud provider’s
network.
Security
Many cloud providers offer a broad set of policies, technologies, and controls that strengthen
your security posture overall, helping protect your data, apps, and infrastructure from potential
threats.
Types of cloud computing
Not all clouds are the same and not one type of cloud computing is right for everyone. Several
different models, types, and services have evolved to help offer the right solution for your needs.
First, you need to determine the type of cloud deployment, or cloud computing architecture, that
your cloud services will be implemented on. There are three different ways to deploy cloud
services: on a public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud. Learn more about public, private, and
hybrid clouds.
 Public cloud
Public clouds are owned and operated by a third-party cloud service providers, which deliver
their computing resources, like servers and storage, over the Internet. Microsoft Azure is an
example of a public cloud. With a public cloud, all hardware, software, and other supporting
infrastructure is owned and managed by the cloud provider. You access these services and
manage your account using a web browser. Learn more about the public cloud.
Private cloud
A private cloud refers to cloud computing resources used exclusively by a single business or
organization. A private cloud can be physically located on the company’s on-site datacenter.
Some companies also pay third-party service providers to host their private cloud. A private
cloud is one in which the services and infrastructure are maintained on a private network. Learn
more about the private cloud.
Hybrid cloud
Hybrid clouds combine public and private clouds, bound together by technology that allows data
and applications to be shared between them. By allowing data and applications to move between
private and public clouds, a hybrid cloud gives your business greater flexibility, more
deployment options, and helps optimize your existing infrastructure, security, and
compliance. Learn more about the hybrid cloud.
Types of cloud services: IaaS, PaaS, serverless, and SaaS
Most cloud computing services fall into four broad categories: infrastructure as a service (IaaS),
platform as a service (PaaS), serverless, and software as a service (SaaS). These are sometimes
called the cloud computing "stack" because they build on top of one another. Knowing what they
are and how they’re different makes it easier to accomplish your business goals.
 Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)

The most basic category of cloud computing services. With IaaS, you rent IT infrastructure—
servers and virtual machines (VMs), storage, networks, operating systems—from a cloud
provider on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Learn more about IaaS

 Platform as a service (PaaS)

Platform as a service refers to cloud computing services that supply an on-demand

environment for developing, testing, delivering, and managing software applications. PaaS is
designed to make it easier for developers to quickly create web or mobile apps, without
worrying about setting up or managing the underlying infrastructure of servers, storage,
network, and databases needed for development.

Learn more about PaaS

 Serverless computing

Overlapping with PaaS, serverless computing focuses on building app functionality without
spending time continually managing the servers and infrastructure required to do so. The
cloud provider handles the setup, capacity planning, and server management for you.
 Serverless architectures are highly scalable and event-driven, only using resources when a
specific function or trigger occurs.

Learn more about serverless computing

 Software as a service (SaaS)

Software as a service is a method for delivering software applications over the Internet, on
demand and typically on a subscription basis. With SaaS, cloud providers host and manage
the software application and underlying infrastructure, and handle any maintenance, like
software upgrades and security patching. Users connect to the application over the Internet,
usually with a web browser on their phone, tablet, or PC.

Learn more about SaaS

Browse a dictionary of common cloud computing terms

Uses of cloud computing

You’re probably using cloud computing right now, even if you don’t realize it. If you use an
online service to send email, edit documents, watch movies or TV, listen to music, play games,
or store pictures and other files, it’s likely that cloud computing is making it all possible behind
the scenes. The first cloud computing services are barely a decade old, but already a variety of
organizations—from tiny startups to global corporations, government agencies to non-profits—
are embracing the technology for all sorts of reasons.
Here are a few examples of what’s possible today with cloud services from a cloud provider:
 Create cloud-native applications

Quickly build, deploy, and scale applications—web, mobile, and API. Take advantage of cloud-
native technologies and approaches, such as containers, Kubernetes, microservices architecture,
API-driven communication, and DevOps.
 Test and build applications

Reduce application development cost and time by using cloud infrastructures that can easily be
scaled up or down.
 Store, back up, and recover data

Protect your data more cost-efficiently—and at massive scale—by transferring your data over the
Internet to an offsite cloud storage system that’s accessible from any location and any device.
 Analyze data

Unify your data across teams, divisions, and locations in the cloud. Then use cloud services, such
as machine learning and artificial intelligence, to uncover insights for more informed decisions.
 Stream audio and video

Connect with your audience anywhere, anytime, on any device with high-definition video and
audio with global distribution.
 Embed intelligence

Use intelligent models to help engage customers and provide valuable insights from the data
captured.
 Deliver software on demand

Also known as software as a service (SaaS), on-demand software lets you offer the latest
software versions and updates around to customers—anytime they need, anywhere they are.